PS3 Owner Gets $100 Rebate for Losing Linux
A European PS3 owner has claimed a partial refund because of Sony's decision to axe Linux support.
When we reported that Sony would be ditching OtherOS support, killing off the ability to run Linux on your console, a lot of you suggested that this couldn't be legal. What about people who purchased the PS3 with this feature in mind? Wouldn't taking it away mean the console no longer performed as advertised?
Well, that's what one European user said when he complained to Amazon. PlayStation University reports that NeoGAF forum moderator "iapetus" received over $100 in credit from Amazon for his original purchase of his PlayStation 3. Iapetus filed a complaint with the etailer on the grounds that removing Linux support violates European Union consumer laws. Amended in 2002 to affect all EU member states, the law states that all goods "must be fit for the purpose which the consumer requires them and which was made known to the seller at the time of purchase."
The response iapetus got from Amazon is pasted below:
"We are writing to confirm that we have processed your refund in the amount of £84.00 for your Order 666-5327564-4432412.
This refund is for the following item(s):
Item: Sony PlayStation 3 Console (60GB Premium Version)
Quantity: 1
ASIN: B0007SV734
Reason for refund: Account adjustment
The following is the breakdown of your refund for this item:
Item Refund: £71.49
Item Tax Refund: £12.51"
PlayStation University reports that because Sony made it known at the time of purchase that you would be able to install an ‘Other OS’ the owner was able to raise this issue with Amazon. Amazon's policy was to offer a partial refund whether the consumer had used that feature or not.
It's not yet clear if Amazon has awarded other PS3 owners similar rebates, or even if anyone else has tried to get a refund.

The healthcare
I don't think Amazon should have done this (if it's true). This will only open the floodgates (I'll be one of the people flooding in - $600 when the PS3 came out...What was I thinking!).
The EU law cited in the article can be found here.
The healthcare
Would that have any repercussion on you?
If everyone and their grandmother, under the EU's consumer production laws which the most recent PS3 update violated, then they should get their rebate.
Repercussions for Tom's? As in should Tom's feel bad if Amazon get's flood with rebate requests? What? Huh? No, don't be stupid.
It's like if you bought a game, then a new patch for that game (required to play online) added DRM that required you be connected to the internet at all time to play. You could argue that you bought the game to play on trips and that this patch reduced the value to you greatly.
Amazon: Hey Sony, your product isn't going to do what you claimed it would do, that this buyer says made him choose to buy it. That's illegal, but we think he'll be happy with a [partial] refund. You have two choices: 1) Do nothing. We'll sue you for the full amount of every PS3 we've ever sold in the EU, in anticipation of more irate customers, plus damages for our loss of goodwill; you know we'll win, because of this law; or 2) you reimburse us for any refunds, as they happen, and only IF they happen.
Sony: We'll take door #2!
Sony only has to pay [partial] refunds for that fraction of PS3 buyers that wanted to put Linux on their PS3, and cared enough to moan about not being able to.
Please keep in mind that this post is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, legal advice of any kind, and under no circumstances can it be relied on as such.